The United States and Japan will step up their defence cooperation to deal with the threat from nuclear-armed North Korea as tensions in East Asia remain high, officials from the two allies said on Thursday.

Another Qld judge takes swipe at critics

Another Queensland judge has taken a swipe at the state government as he sentenced a pedophile to what is likely to be less than two years in prison.

With Premier Campbell Newman calling on the judiciary to hand out tough sentences in accordance with what he says are the public's wishes, District Court Judge Milton Griffin warned the government to stay out of court affairs.

Judge Griffin said the 68-year-old pedophile's crimes were "truly disgusting" but, taking into account the man is in remission for cancer and pleaded guilty early, gave him a five-year jail sentence to be suspended after 20 months.

The man was a regular customer of a Thai child forced into prostitution by her mother from the age of nine.

Judge Griffin said he wanted to make it absolutely clear the sentence was not affected by "any consideration of what it might be said the public of Queensland want" following controversial new laws designed to keep bikies and sex offenders in prison longer.

"Judges won't be affected by what the public of Queensland want and to do so would be contrary to the oath of office," he said.

"Those who suggest otherwise are effectively suggesting a judge discard the oath of office and to commit such behaviour would require removal from office.